Apparatus for alignment of guns and gun sights



July 25, 1950 c. e. TRIMBACH ETAL 2,516,435

APPARATUS FOR ALIGNMENT OF GUNS AND GUN SIGHTS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1944 INVENTOR. CLEM G. TRIMBAOH JOHN G.PARKIN ATTORNEY y 1950 c. G. TRIMBACH EI'AL 2,516,435

APPARATUS FOR ALIGNMENT OF GUNS AND GUN SIGHTS Filed Feb. 1, 1944 3Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

IN VEN TOR. CLEM G. TRIMBAOH JOHN C. PARKIN ATTORNEY APPARATUS FORALIGNMENT OF GUNS AND GUN SIGHTS Filed Feb. 1, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 44INVENTOR. CLEM e. TRIMBACH 132 JOHN c. PARKIN A \m BY ATTORNEY PatentedJuly 25, 195 v,;,;;= -,i

, I 2 51 i l APPARATUS FOR ALIGNMENT OF. GUNS," AND GUN SIGHTS.

Clem G. Trimbach;-Eggertsville,' and John C. Parukin, Buffalo, N.- i56., assig'nors tov Curtiss-Wrighta] Corporation, acorporationofDelaware l Application February 1, 1944, Serial No. 520,682

. 'fi'Claims. ,r it 1; .o. if, .JJ. This invention relates tothealignrnent or guns and Sights therefor, of the type wherein thesights are not directly attached to the guns inconnection with whichthey are used More particularly the invention relates to apparatus f oaliglning ,separately mounted guns andsights' therefor on a vehicle,such as anairplane. I I II I In the production ofniodernmilitaryaircraft, particularly of the fighter type, it haslbeencustomaryto install the gun'sjin' the wingsand 'on a other places distantfrom-the operator. of the'guns and to sight and 'opera te theguns'byrrnote controh In such an ins tallation it is iinpossibleto,employ the conyentional Itype of" gun in which the-sightisdirectlymounted on the barrel and substantially in line therewith. Forsuch aircraft,

, therefore, it is custo m'a'ry' td mount the'jsight's inthe cockpitandthe gunsin thewin'gsor elsewhere withno direct connection-betweenthetwo except through the airplane structure itself jl ihe' conventional wmetho'd of aligning such guns and sights, in an arrangementToflthis sort, 'is toIinount ,I the airplane in'fi'ring posi I and'thento factuallyrline up both guns" andsights 'o'n a target. Ilhis niethodis rather cumbersome and consumes a considerable amount,'ofitirne,sincefthe gtail 1 or gth'e airplane r'nu'stb'e lifted'i'ntoflfiying "pfosi- {than before the gunfsights ican'b iri'ed' open at a 'It is therefore-an obje cti-of'this inventionjto I provide.apparatus 'fo'r'f ali'g iil g'gunsfiand gun sightson'an aircraft or,ther'veiii'clejwithout re- I quiring that; both guns and'si'ghts must belined I up on an actual target; Itlis anther obj ctto -pjroyideapparatus whih will considerably 'df'ice the time hitherto requiredfor'angning :sights on miliary aircraft. It is f appear" hereinafter; 1f 1 These ob'e'ct's' arefaccorn'plished, 'accordingfjto the presentinvention; by \niounting'jori the air- "eraft or other .yehic1etwoformere sep rate, fix- '.'t'iires,hereinafter descrilq'eciiinor dtai lii'ch 1.2m lined us with respect to e'rtain ocu atel "jigged partso'fthebasic' airplane structur I least one of .such fixtures ig'a ocia'ted with gun sight, and at least one othe' ofsuch fixtures .isassociated with a gun; TheQs ights-and} guns are" then aligned by meanso'f't e'.,fixtures"associated therewith, .asihereinaiteridescribed;

I x nns} invention may he ino'ref easily understood ;by reference totheaccompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspectivfeyiew,withp'arts lo1 olrerr away for I convenience in: 'i1 1ustration,-' of ageneral arrangement according gtnapfesent -invention,-mounted en anairplane type. Figure -2 is an enlargeddetailyiiew of; a

portion of Figure 1-,, with the-". airplanestructure i *omitted. Figure3 is a transverse section or- 1 an I enlarged scale, through the wing of the, airplane taken a1 e th 3:: eilli e ratl..-.-lf i e heifighter,

he is iem ekenz l he in .47 of Figure 3, with the a an inastru e m tted-(Eisure 5 s a v t o fr nd n o re emf a emhodiment employing a, modifiedform QfgflX- 5 I tune. I Figure; 6 is a yiew taken along the line 5+6 ofFigure 5. Figure 'Z i s a, side view, on-ali enlarged scale, taken alongthe line l l, .of;E?ig1 J,re I 1, with parts. of -.the airplane omittedfor vconyenience inillustration. Fi gure 8 is, a view taken along the 1ine 3-8 ofFigure Figure ais: a detail yiew, in perspectiveipf a portio no f flthe I structure illustrated, in Figures .7Ifand 8Q. Figure I leisaview, orra still larger scalhtake fal'eng the line Iii-7i n qr,Fighref' z; Figure 11. isi'ailfenlarged yiew, on the saniescfale asligure 10:,of a portionfof Figure 8, with sorneparts' in cross sectionfor, conyeniencef in" illustration; Figure 1.12 I is an enlargedlongitudinal tress -section of; a

(prise-346) 1 'dica e'd ge'riei I zfcat'ed in t e drawingsrthe arr n!Q'rjth' ,"eun dbesnot pass thi'oiig'fithe lie'adingfedge 'lo the wine;In,

leadiijig'ede mam eageierrt "jili L the I W a'l hrou h the 'blaSt' jtubeorffg' un'f ba' YreIi p assesjfis 'f ffilled upuexcept "for the 'space'occupied I I 0; threa ded hol e's. l1.1""Both"blas t tubejandi areremoved for aligning the, guns, a' cco'r II to Q thejpresent'nvention,'and their" plfac s taken by ali mng xture I'Battached'fftpthe leading edge of the" wing; b0th as hereinafter 'describ itlt'S.and," efsight fizg m1 bead, sight.63j aligned throughitube'l 1. ,xrhe'ritirefizitur removedias'inthercase of borebar 2,2Ian'd L8,afterth'eali'gnnientjis comiileted,"" nd'i'the and sights, arelthn,readyirofuse;,. I e'ferr'ing no'wftoi Figures ot r iened wine:

'. by a second plate member 49. The latter is held inplace by means ofbolts 52 fixed in holes in plate 48 and passing through slots 5| inplate 49. The plate 49 is then moved vertically until the alignmentmarks 53 on plate 48 are in portion of either plate or bore bar. Theterm 1 fimark is understood to include such alternative forms ofmarking.

Referring now to Figures 1, '7, 8 and 9, the gun vertical tubular braces81 and 96. At opposite ends of the cross piece 91 are journaled twotubular legs IN and I02, provided with cross braces I03. At the upperend of legs I04 and I02 there 5 is rigidly mounted a support I04 for atubular line with the corresponding alignment marks 54 sight I05. Athird tubular leg III is journaled on plate 49. When this adjustment ismade the at-its lower en'don cross brace 89, and is welded plate 49 isfastened securely in place by tightennear its upper end to a diagonalmember I I2.. A

; ing the wing nuts 55 on bolts 52. The alignment I'second support '4for a second tubular sight is then accomplished, as in the case of theem- H5 is adjustably and removably mounted near bodiment of theinvention shown in Figure 2, a the upper end of tubular members III andH2. except that the front end of the bore bar has Figures and 11illustrate the mounting for a horizontal alignment mark 59 and avertical sight supports I04 and H4, and also the method mark 58 to beput in line with the correspondof connecting'leg IIII to leg III. Themeans for ing alignment marks 50 and 51 respectively on 15 mountingsight support I04 is simple, and conthe plate 49. sists merelyof amember I06 welded to legs MI The marks shown on the plates and bore barsand I02 and sight support I04. The mounting for of the embodiments shownin Figures 4 and 5 support II4, however, consists of a bracket IIG maybe of any convenient type, such as paint welded at the ends of the upperarm II'I along markings, grooves, ridges, etc., or may be an edge thelength of support H4. The angle of the bracket is pivotally mounted inbearing pillows provided at the fore and aft ends of a plate I20. Weldedto plate I is a bolt I I8 which also passes through a second plate I23which is welded to sight aligning device l0 consists of a triangularmembers III and H2. Plate-I20 is oriented with support mounted on aframe, the apparatus berespect to plate I23by means of two studs I2I lngplaced in the cockpit [5 of the airplane. The and I22 welded to plateI20 and passing through frame comprises two longitudinallyextendingplate I23. Plates I20and I23 are held together base bars II and i2 and atransversely extendby means of wing nut II9 threaded on bolt II8. ingbase bar I3. The transverse bar i3 is at-:- 3Q Stud I22 is elongated,and has loosely fitted over tached to two leveling pads l4 and I5 whichits shank, in order, a spring I24, hemispherical serve to level thedevice about the longitudinal element I25, a slot in lower arm I26 ofbracket axis of the fuselage I4. These leveling pads are H6, and aknurled adjusting nut I21. It is easrested on lugs 16 and I1,respectively, attached ily seen that movement of the sight II4 throughto longerons I8 and 79, respectively, of the air-1'1 5 an are at rightangles to the line of sight may be plane fuselage I4. The positions andorientaeffected by manipulation of nut I21. In addition, tions oflongerons I8 and 10 are basic reference the entire sight II5, togetherwith its support and points or jigging points in the construction ofadjusting mechanism, and plate I20, may berethe fuselage I4. Thus, it isvery accurately moved from fixture 10 by merely removing wing locatedwith respect to the center line of the! 40 nut H9.

' airplane and to the points of attachment of the In member I06 there isprovided a cylindrical fuselage to the wing l6, and with respect to thesocket I0I. Into this socket there is fitted an exgeneral aspect of theairplane during flight. tension I09 of member III. The two legs IOI andThe base bar II is connected to base bar I2 III are held in place bymeans of a set screw I08 through parallel links 80 and an adjustablelink seating into a depression on extension I09. Mem- 8I'. After thedevice is rested on lugs l6 and hers I02 and H2 are held together by,similar 7 11, the base bar 12 is allowed to drop until it means. I

" rests on lugs 82 attached to longeron 18. The Referring nowto Figures,12 and 13, the tubuwing nut 85 is then tightened to maintain the rellarsight I05, to, which sight H5 is similar, is ative positions of basebars H and I2. Finally, composed of apeep-opening I3I and alens I32, on

" the aligning device I0 is moved as a whole, to s which are mountedcross-hairs I33. Alignment "the right (Figure 8) until pad 83 and plate84, of optical sight 6| is eifected by looking through "situated atopposite ends of base bar 72, rest the peep-opening I3I towards the lensI32, and

against inner edge 80 of longeron I8. This serves then adjusting theposition of the optical sight to level. the device about the transverseaxis of SI until its cross-hairs coincide with the crossthe fuselage I4,and also orients it correctly about hairs I33. Similarly, alignment ofring sight 62 I the vertical axis of the fuselage. The device is andbead sight 63 is effected by means of the secf-"tnen in line with thecenter line of the airplane. 0nd tubular sight II5, until the ring andbead Transverse base bar F3 is tubular in structure, sights coincidewith the cross-hairs I33 ofsight and is strengthened by means ofparallel tubular G0 I I5. transverse bar 90, to which it is connected byIt is seen that sight II5, its support and mounttubular cross-braces 8?,88 and 09. Bars l3 and ing may be removed entirely from the apparatus 90are welded to plate 84, and all connections beby merely removing wingnut II9 andv then lifttween tubular elements I3, Bl, 80, 89 and 90 areing the sight. and mounting. This is desirable also welded. Longitudinalbase bar H is also con- 05 because in some varieties of planes only asingle nected to plate 34, but the latter connection is sight isprovided. The gun sight aligning device detachable. It is effected bytwo studs 9| and a itself, when removed from the airplane, maybe thirdthreaded stud 92 welded to plate 84 and collapsed and stowed in a smallspace. This may passing through holes in bar ii. The assembeaccomplished by loosening set screw I08, lift- }.blage is held togetherby means of wing nut 93 ing legs IOI and I02 from members III and H2,

on threaded stud 92. Transverse rigidity is se- ,1..cured 'bytwo shorthorizontal tubular braces 04 ftgand-95, welded at their opposite ends toplate @194 andto a short vertical tubular brace 96.

A horizontal c'ro'ss piece9l is welded to the two and then collapsingall three legs downwards about their lower pivoted ends. Longitudinalbase bars II and Rare then separated from'the remainder of the apparatusby removing wing nut 93.

11; 7 The gun sight aligning'd'evice sinceit aligns the sightswith-respect: to the center line of the airplane, may be used'on anyairplane on which unalig nmg fixtures 8 are used. Itis not necesary'toprovide different devicesqfl' for difierent "sub-varieties of airplane.

The apparatus of the present invention is pref erably employed-in anairplane or other vehicle having astandardiZ'ed construction, thatis, in*which the-basic reference or 'jiggingpoints' are i uniformly located inallairplanes of a given'type. -'l-Ioweverfltheinvention' is 'alsoapplicable to air- -"plaiies'or other'vehicles in which the constructionis'lessstandardized,'butin which the guns, sights "for otherequipmentare often removed for modificatibnf adjustment, cleaning; servicing,replacing of broken or worn parts, orother treatment. In thiscaseasepa'rate'- set of fixtures is provided "for eachairplane'orothervehicle. After the guns and sights ina vehicle are initiallyaligned by he conventional method and the fixturescalibratedtherewith'these fixtures constitute part -of"the "eqiiipmentof thatvehicle and provide a z=memoa and "means ior realign-ing'the gunsand sights when they are replaced in the vehicle.

The-above discussion has been in connection *w-ith a specific forni ofthe invention. It is obvious-f-however'; that many changes maybe made inthis form" withdutdepartingfrom the spirit of "-thiniin'tion. It is tobeunderstood, therefore, that the invention is not to' be limited exceptas "definedin theappended claims.

We claim:

*liApparatus for aligning-*agun and a gunsight separately mounted in avehicle, the gun -*beihg-'pivotally attached to the vehicle at a' basicreferen'ce point for'theconstruction of said ve- 'hiclef a bar memberforslidable insertion into """thebarrelo'f said gun, a plate membermountable in a fixed position with respect to another: basiccon'iprising a b'arrnember for slidable insertion j into thebarrelof"said gun, a'plate member hiouritable in a fried position with respect toanother basic reference-point for the construction of said airplane atthe leading edge of said wing, anopening in'said plate member fordetermining the alignment of said-bar member there- *'-with,-'marks onsaid bar member-and said plate *"mmber for -accurately determining thealign- 'ment of'saidbar member andsaidplate member, a-support'mountablein the fuselage of said airplane, a tubular sight accurately mounted onsaid support, said support-comprising aframe having a transverse framemember and a longitudinal frame member detachable fromeach other, legsattached at one set oftheir ends to said transverse frame member andfattheir-opposite ends to saidtubular sight, said-legs being detachable atone set of ends thereof and'pivotally mounted ce"point" for theconstruction of said airplane,

" at the-opposite ends'the'reof; and stops =on-"said --longitudinalframemember for-accurately orienting said frame v'vith'respect tothelongitudinal "center lineof "said airplane.

3. Apparatus for aligning a guntmounted in a "vehicle, said gunbeingpivotedata point accu- "rately" located with'respectto a basicreference -"point'-for the construction of said vehicle-geom- "prising"a bar member for 1 slidable insertionrlnto the barrel of 'said'gun, aplate member mountable in a fixed position with respect to another'basic reference "poi'nt for the! construction :of said Vehicle, anopening in said'plate member xfor aligning said' bar member therewith,and ,marks on said bar member and saidplate-memberb 4. Apparatus foraligning a gun mounted infthe wing of 'an airplane, said gunbeingpivotedat a I point accurately located with respect to aFbaSic reference pointfor the construction of said' rairplane, comprising a bar member forslidable insertion into the'barrel of saidgun, a plate-"member mountablein a fixed position with respect to another basic reference point fortheconstruction of said airplane at the leading edge of-said-'wing,

opening in saidplate member for-aligning' said bar' member therewith,and marks -'on' said bar member 'andsaid plate member for "accuratelyadjusting the alignment of said bar member-and said plate member.

5. Apparatus for aligning a'gunsight-mou'nted in the fuselage of anairplane, comprising asupport mountable inthe fuselage of said airplane,

- a tubular sight accurately mounted-on saidsupport, said supportcomprising a frame-having a transverse frame member and a longitudinalframe member detachable fromeachother, legs attached at one-set of theirends to 'said'transverseframe member andat the opposite endsto saidtubular sight,said legs being detachable at other at their upper endssaid legs whensoconnected defining with said transverse frame member asubstantially triangular support, asighting device for opticallydetermining-the alignment of the gun-sight mounted on one of said legsnear the apex-of said triangular supportgandstop means in saidlongitudinal frame -member--for or enting said frame with-respect to-thelongitudinal axis of said airplane.

CLEM G. RI AGH'. JOHN C. PARKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile-of-this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Date Name I "Sheppard Feb; 18,11919 StephenJuly 8, fl919 Schleth beefe -[1 921 Schubert May 2211934 Falge 'Jan. 24,1939

